Royaldutchshellplc.com
Encyclopedia
royaldutchshellplc.com is a Royal Dutch Shell
gripe site
and blog
operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property
agreements and filed several law suits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak
and forum for Shell whistleblowers.
and Essex
, for which they created many sales promotion campaigns under their company Don Marketing. In 1981, Don Marketing devised a promotional game scheme for Royal Dutch Shell
called "Make Money". Because the promotion was successful, Don created several other promotional campaigns for Shell, which led in part to Shell being identified as "perhaps the biggest user of games" in 1986.
In 1992 Shell appointed a new National Promotions manager to whom Don's promotional ideas were disclosed on a confidential basis. In 1994, Don Marketing issued a writ
against Shell with respect to a follow-up "Make Money" promotion claiming breach of confidence
and breach of contract
, which ended in a £60,000 settlement. A second writ was issued concerning a Nintendo
promotion that ran in 1993. Shell settled both claims in October 1996. A third law suit was processed in 1999; however, the claimant abandoned the claim.
During the course of the litigation, the Donovans founded the "Shell Corporate Conscience Pressure Group" and accompanying gripe site
, which Shell UK Media Relations responded to internally in March 1995.
After Don Marketing was dissolved, father and son Alfred and John Donovan created several websites to expose their perceived injustices while working with Shell, one of which is royaldutchshellplc.com. They also operate Shellnews.net.
While Royal Dutch Shell plc is a trademark
ed name of the company, the domain name was first registered by Alfred Donovan. It avoids being an illegal cybersquatter as long as it is non-commercial, active, and no attempt are made to sell the domain name, as determined by WIPO proceedings In 2005 Donovan said he would relinquish the site to Shell after it "gets rid of all the management he deems responsible for its various recent woes."
. In 2008 the Financial Times
published an article based on a letter published by royaldutchshellplc.com, which Reuters
and The Times
also covered shortly thereafter. The site has also been cited several other times by the aforementioned news sources as well as others.
On October 18, 2006, the site published an article stating that Shell had for some time been supplying information to the Russian government relating to Sakhalin II. The Russian energy company Gazprom
subsequently obtained a 50% stake in the Sakhalin-II project.
Other instances where the site has acted as an Internet leak include a 2007 IT
outsourcing plan, as well as a 2008 internal memo where CEO Jeroen van der Veer
expressed disappointment in the company's share-price performance.
rankings, in which Royal Dutch Shell placed third, royaldutchshellplc.com was listed alongside shell.com as a source of information. In 2007 the site was described as a "a hub for activists and disgruntled former employees." A 2009 article called royaldutchshellplc.com "the world's most effective adversarial Web site." The site has been described as "an open wound for Shell."
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
gripe site
Gripe site
A gripe site is a type of website devoted to the critique and or mockery of a person, place, politician, corporation, or institution. They are also known as "complaint" or "sucks" sites...
and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
agreements and filed several law suits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
and forum for Shell whistleblowers.
Website background
The Donovans owned a chain of petrol stations in east LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, for which they created many sales promotion campaigns under their company Don Marketing. In 1981, Don Marketing devised a promotional game scheme for Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
called "Make Money". Because the promotion was successful, Don created several other promotional campaigns for Shell, which led in part to Shell being identified as "perhaps the biggest user of games" in 1986.
In 1992 Shell appointed a new National Promotions manager to whom Don's promotional ideas were disclosed on a confidential basis. In 1994, Don Marketing issued a writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
against Shell with respect to a follow-up "Make Money" promotion claiming breach of confidence
Breach of confidence
The tort of breach of confidence, is a common law tort that protects private information that is conveyed in confidence. A claim for breach of confidence typically requires the information to be of a confidential nature, which was communicated in confidence, and was disclosed to the detriment of...
and breach of contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
, which ended in a £60,000 settlement. A second writ was issued concerning a Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
promotion that ran in 1993. Shell settled both claims in October 1996. A third law suit was processed in 1999; however, the claimant abandoned the claim.
During the course of the litigation, the Donovans founded the "Shell Corporate Conscience Pressure Group" and accompanying gripe site
Gripe site
A gripe site is a type of website devoted to the critique and or mockery of a person, place, politician, corporation, or institution. They are also known as "complaint" or "sucks" sites...
, which Shell UK Media Relations responded to internally in March 1995.
After Don Marketing was dissolved, father and son Alfred and John Donovan created several websites to expose their perceived injustices while working with Shell, one of which is royaldutchshellplc.com. They also operate Shellnews.net.
While Royal Dutch Shell plc is a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
ed name of the company, the domain name was first registered by Alfred Donovan. It avoids being an illegal cybersquatter as long as it is non-commercial, active, and no attempt are made to sell the domain name, as determined by WIPO proceedings In 2005 Donovan said he would relinquish the site to Shell after it "gets rid of all the management he deems responsible for its various recent woes."
Internet leak
The site has been recognized by several media outlets for its role as an Internet leakInternet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
. In 2008 the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
published an article based on a letter published by royaldutchshellplc.com, which Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
also covered shortly thereafter. The site has also been cited several other times by the aforementioned news sources as well as others.
On October 18, 2006, the site published an article stating that Shell had for some time been supplying information to the Russian government relating to Sakhalin II. The Russian energy company Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
subsequently obtained a 50% stake in the Sakhalin-II project.
Other instances where the site has acted as an Internet leak include a 2007 IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
outsourcing plan, as well as a 2008 internal memo where CEO Jeroen van der Veer
Jeroen van der Veer
Jeroen van der Veer was the CEO of the petroleum corporation Royal Dutch Shell until 30 June 2009....
expressed disappointment in the company's share-price performance.
Recognition
The gripe site has been recognized as a source of information regarding Shell by several news sources. In the 2006 Fortune Global 500Fortune Global 500
The Fortune Global 500 is a ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by Fortune magazine....
rankings, in which Royal Dutch Shell placed third, royaldutchshellplc.com was listed alongside shell.com as a source of information. In 2007 the site was described as a "a hub for activists and disgruntled former employees." A 2009 article called royaldutchshellplc.com "the world's most effective adversarial Web site." The site has been described as "an open wound for Shell."